Wisconsin DNR Wolf Advisory Committee – Membership Application

Thank you for your interest in serving on the department’s Wolf Advisory Committee!

The 2023 Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan recommends establishing a new department Wolf Advisory Committee. Department advisory committees exist to provide input and recommendations to department leadership on items such as policies, plans, season structures and harvest quotas. Although they are advisory bodies only and have no inherent decision-making authority, they play a critical role in the adaptive management process by reviewing data and developing recommendations. Advisory committees ultimately help ensure management actions are science-based, durable and responsive to public input.

The Wolf Advisory Committee will primarily assist the department with implementation of the Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan. This document was approved in 2023 and details the objectives, strategies and products which have been identified to facilitate science-based conservation and management of wolves in Wisconsin. The committee will further help by identifying and discussing any emerging issues related to wolf management in the state, providing a conduit for public input and to increase public awareness and transparency of the department’s activities related to wolf conservation and management.

In addition to Department staff, committee membership will consist of invited members from government agency partners, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, Wisconsin's Ojibwe tribes, and stakeholders representing a spectrum of interest groups. These stakeholder seats are available by competitive application and have been organized into the following broad interest group categories in no particular order. Organizing stakeholder seats in this manner strives to balance inclusivity and equality among broad interest groups with overall committee size.

Stakeholder Group Definitions:

Hunting and Trapping Interests: Organizations whose mission includes ensuring the hunting and trapping heritage in Wisconsin remains strong while embracing changing societal values, specifically promoting the use of regulated harvest as a primary tool to manage wildlife species.
Agricultural and Ranching Interests: Organizations whose mission includes ensuring the rural agricultural or ranching lifestyle in Wisconsin remains strong, specifically promoting the use and advancement of a wide array of abatement measures to effectively resolve wolf conflicts.
Environmental Interests: Organizations whose mission includes ensuring the sustainability of wildlife and wildlife habitats in Wisconsin, specifically promoting wolf-related coexistence as part of maintaining healthy ecosystems and natural landscapes.
Conservation Science and Education Interests: Organizations whose mission includes the conservation of wildlife in Wisconsin through science-based management and educational outreach, specifically promoting sound science in wildlife management decision-making and sharing science-based public educational outreach on wolves.
At-Large, Unaffiliated Interests: Available to any Wisconsin residents who are generally interested in and/or affected by wolves and wolf management (as detailed on their application and determined by the department). It is expected these members would provide viewpoints that may not be captured by other organizations representin

All applications received for stakeholder seats will be reviewed and evaluated. Well-qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview. For organizational applicants, a member of the organization’s leadership will be invited to attend the interview as well. Stakeholder seats will be awarded to top candidates. Not all seats may be filled depending on interest and quality of applicants. Applications will be evaluated based upon, but not limited to, the following:

An organization’s demonstrable presence in Wisconsin, including its membership size and ability to facilitate information sharing with its membership. At large applicants must be Wisconsin residents.
Application responses demonstrating an applicant’s knowledge, experience and perspectives related to wolf management allowing for valuable contributions towards the success of the group.
Congruency between the organizations and department’s mission.
Preference will be given to candidates which demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with those whose views may differ from their own and seek to engage in constructive dialogue regarding wolf conservation and management.
Preference will be given to candidates which recognize the complexity and diversity of viewpoints surrounding wolf conservation and management, and genuinely wish to work towards mutual understanding and durable management solutions.
The department will strive for balance among and within stakeholder categories including applicant primary interests, gender and geographic distribution i.e., where they live in the state and whether they live in an area with/without wolves.

To be considered for an available stakeholder seat, please complete the following application in its entirety. Applications will be accepted until Sunday May 4th at 11:59 pm CT. Please contact Randy Johnson at randy.johnson@wisconsin.gov with any questions about completing this application, or if you are unable to complete the application online.

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* I have read and understand the preceding information.

Yes